by A.J. Meyers
It's time to have some tough conversations. I'll go first.
If there's a rubber ball at the end of a string that claims to help me do a better push-up, I own it. Used it once and paid $39.95 for the pleasure. If you're the creator of this gadget, you're welcome. But everyone else should probably read on...
I'm admittedly a sucker for what I call "tools of the trade," in particular from the fitness realm. Both land and water, if there's ever an "As Seen On Instagram" channel, I could curate it entirely from the cluttered shelves in the back of my closet. As a fan-boy for any new product to incorporate into a workout, from plastic to elastic and everything in between, chances are, at one time or another, I had yours at my disposal.
Which is exactly what I did. I got rid of it. But any guesses why it sat there unused collecting dust for so long?
Because you sold it to me without any education on how to use it. And here's the worst part...I'm not alone.
"The problem we hear all the time from clients and in group forums online is their facility finally took that leap of faith and invested in the purchase of all this new equipment. But no one on staff knows how to properly use it. And so it just takes up space, until the very end of the year when they have to address the negative return on the investment and find themselves posting "...or Best Offer" sales ads on Facebook Marketplace."
These are your Facility Directors, Gym Owners and Small Group Fitness Instructors who found a way to scrape up some cash to invest in improving their students lives, and hopefully their bottom lines in the process. But now they're feeling stuck.
So if you are the company behind the better push-up product I referenced earlier, you should know that many of your customers are complaining about the same thing. And their plan is just to unload it all.
You may have built it. Some may have bought it. But word on the street is getting out, and they're not being too quiet about their frustration.
The Field of Dreams Syndrome
There are only so many ways to re-invent the treadmill. Peloton did a pretty solid job with it at the start of the pandemic. They seized on the sudden demand for at-home workouts and sales surged by nearly 175%. But the other thing they got right was they didn't just provide you with a piece of machinery, they also offered a ton of valuable, well-made programming to go with it.
Literally, a trainer at your fingertips.
Every product, every piece of equipment, tool or technique deserves to be backed by a well-thought out, easy to follow program, at the very least, a guide or manual.
Inventors, vendors and product pushers heed the call: invest in your brand and build the proper training.
For the rest of you, especially those despondent directors, owners and instructors, before you let go of all those valuable, untapped resources at your fingertips...first consider partnering with a professional in your network who can help you with proper programming. And let me be clear, that does not mean find a Tik Tok influencer to dance around with your device.
There are numerous trainers, accreditation programs and fitness professionals with the proper education, experience and exposure to help build customized workouts and training programs for you, with whatever equipment, products or gear you've got access to. When it comes to aquatic fitness, I happen to know 3 of the best!
But before you clean out your closets to try and cut your losses, make the ask of those in the know. And if you're on the fence about to make that next big purchase and are having any doubts, stop and ask customer support what type of training, programming and education is coming with your order!
If the answer is none, you're better off using that money to pay professionals to help you with what you already have!
Disclaimer: Jenni Lynn Fitness has many wonderful affiliate relationships with varying vendors, including equipment and product sellers. The views expressed in this article are those of the author only, and are not directed towards or representative of any particular company or industry. But seriously, if you sold me the piece of twine with a lacrosse ball attached to it for $40, we both should be ashamed of ourselves.
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